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CHEAT SHEET
1. ON THE WARPATH
Iran Quits Parts of Nuclear Deal, Issues Ultimatum to Europe

It’s been exactly one year since President Trump made one of his most controversial foreign-policy moves: withdrawing the U.S. entirely from the landmark Iran nuclear deal. Now, to mark the anniversary, Iran’s president has declared his country will stop complying with two key commitments from the accord, pushing the animosity between Washington and Tehran into dangerous new territory. President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will immediately begin to build up stockpiles of low enriched uranium and heavy water, which is used in nuclear reactors. He added that he will now give Europe 60 days to choose between Trump’s sanctions or rescuing the nuclear deal by restarting oil trade with Iran. If Europe doesn’t comply, Iran will restart construction of a key nuclear reactor and ignore the limits on the enrichment of uranium, Rouhani said. “The path we have chosen today is not the path of war; it is the path of diplomacy,” he added.

Read it at The New York Times
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2. HERO-IN-TRAINING
Would-Be Marine Tackled Gunman at Colorado STEM School

A high-school senior who plans to join the Marines after he graduates reportedly helped tackle a teen gunman who killed one student and injured seven others at a Colorado STEM charter school on Tuesday. Brendan Bialy, a student at STEM School Highlands Ranch, was reportedly among a group of classmates who tackled and disarmed one of the two suspected shooters. “We are deeply saddened for the victims, families, friends, and community on this tragic day," the Bialy family said in a statement. “We’d like to commend the immediate response of law enforcement and assure all we are strong with the love of our families, community, friends, and every one sending concern, wishes, and strength. We will persevere.” Two suspects are in custody following the Tuesday afternoon shooting. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office identified one of the suspects as Devon Erickson, 18. The family of Kendrick Castillo, also 18, confirmed to NBC News that he was the student killed during the shooting.

Read it at NBC News
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3. RUSSIA, IF YOU’RE STILL LISTENING
Trump Campaign Won’t Rule Out Using Intel From Foreign Spies

You’d have thought, if the Trump campaign had learned anything from the past three years, it would be that being seen to benefit from intelligence stolen by foreign agents could land them in trouble. But Politico reports that Trump’s 2020 campaign has refused the opportunity to say if it would alert the feds if it was approached by a potential foreign election meddler—and that it hasn’t ruled out using information stolen by a foreign power. Many of Trump’s potential Democratic opponents—including Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, and Tulsi Gabbard—have already made public pledges not to knowingly use stolen or hacked information during their campaigns. FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that, if any 2020 campaign is approached by a potential foreign agent, it’s “something the FBI would want to know about.”

Read it at Politico
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4. EYES CLOSED
America Is a Global Hotbed of Climate-Change Denial: Poll

The United States has a higher proportion of climate-change deniers or doubters than almost anywhere else on Earth, according to a new poll. A 23-country survey carried out by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project revealed that only the populations of Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have higher levels of climate-change denial than the one recorded in America. A total of 13 percent of Americans polled agreed that climate is changing “but human activity is not responsible at all;” a further 5 percent said that they didn’t believe the climate was changing at all. Americans were also more likely than people in any other Western country surveyed to say they didn’t know whether the climate was changing or if people were responsible—a position held by 13 percent of those polled. However, a huge majority of U.S. citizens do accept the science of climate change, The Guardian reports, with nearly four in 10 saying human activity was at least partially responsible. A further third responded that they believe human activity is the main cause of climate change.

Read it at The Guardian
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5. AD BY KOCH INDUSTRIES
Challenges Faced by Former Prisoners Attempting Fresh Starts

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that more than 10,000 people are released from prisons each week across the country. But for many individuals, the barriers to success don’t end once they’ve finished serving their time. According to a new study conducted by researchers at Florida State University’s Institute for Justice Reform and Development, those reentering our communities must overcome several key challenges—from maintaining support systems to securing identification, housing, and employment. IJRD’s research will inform the work of Safe Streets & Second Chances, a first-of-its-kind re-entry initiative launched last year in Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, supported by Koch Industries. Learn more about the seven key takeaways from their findings, and read the full report here.  

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6. ‘WE LOVE BOBBY, BUT...’
Kennedy Family Members Hit Out at RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vax Beliefs

The most famous family in American political history is at war over anti-vaxxing. Three Kennedys have co-authored a piece for Politico that hits out at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who they say is leading a “misinformation campaign that’s having heartbreaking—and deadly—consequences.” RFK Jr.—the son of the assassinated Virginia senator and former attorney general—is one of the country’s most prominent anti-vaccine activists and has previously called the inoculations “a holocaust” and accused drug makers, the government, and the press of being in cahoots to hide danger from the public. In their article, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Maeve Kennedy McKean write: “We love Bobby. He is one of the great champions of the environment ... However, on vaccines he is wrong.” They went on: “[RFK Jr.] is part of this campaign to attack the institutions committed to reducing the tragedy of preventable infectious diseases. He has helped to spread dangerous misinformation over social media and is complicit in sowing distrust of the science behind vaccines.”

Read it at Politico
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7. PANTS ON FIRE
Prosecutors Allege Robert Kraft’s Lawyers Lied in Court

Robert Kraft’s lawyers have been accused of lying during the billionaire’s ongoing solicitation-of-prostitution case. The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office filed a motion Tuesday urging the court to find the New England Patriots owner’s attorneys in contempt. Kraft, 77, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of soliciting a prostitute at a spa in Jupiter, Florida. Prosecutors claim that, during a court session last week, Kraft’s attorney Alex Spiro falsely accused Jupiter Police Officer Scott Kimbark of telling other officers he would lie to justify the traffic stop of another one of the spa’s customers, NBC News reports. Kraft’s other defense attorney, William Burck, said any suggestion that they had lied in court was “false, reckless, and unethical.” He went on: “Alex Spiro and our firm will not be intimidated by the state attorney and their efforts to smear us with false allegations and will not deter us from defending our client from what we have contended are unconstitutional, illegal acts.”

Read it at NBC News
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8. TAXI?
Uber, Lyft Drivers to Strike in Major International Cities

Uber and Lyft drivers plan to strike Wednesday in major cities around the globe in opposition to Uber’s upcoming Wall Street debut. The drivers are striking for livable incomes, job security, and regulated fares, among other demands. Drivers’ demands vary by city and group, but many are aiming to gain greater transparency over termination, better working conditions, and improved wages. Strikes are planned in major U.S. cities, as well as parts of the U.K., Australia, and South America. In Southern California, drivers are planning to go offline for 24 hours. In Atlanta, workers plan to log off the apps for 12 hours. Drivers in New York City plan to strike during rush hour, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., for maximum effect. “With the IPO, Uber’s corporate owners are set to make billions, all while drivers are left in poverty and go bankrupt,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, one of the organizations supporting the strikes, in a statement.

Read it at CNN Business
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9. SAFE AT LAST
Asia Bibi Arrives in Canada After Blasphemy Acquittal

Asia Bibi, the Christian woman who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan over dubious accusations of blasphemy, has been reunited with her children after she arrived safely in Canada early Wednesday. Bibi was sentenced to be hanged in 2010 after being accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad, but her conviction was overturned last year by Pakistan’s supreme court. Though she was cleared, she has been forced to leave Pakistan after repeated death threats from religious extremists who led mass protests against her acquittal in October 2018. Her lawyer, Saiful Malook, told The Guardian that Bibi had arrived in Canada, where two of her five daughters are believed to have already been granted asylum. “It is a big day,” said the attorney. “Asia Bibi has left Pakistan and reached Canada. She has reunited with her family. Justice has been dispensed.”

Read it at The Guardian
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10. ONE TRICK PONY
Kentucky Derby Winner Won’t Compete for Triple Crown

The controversial winner of the Kentucky Derby will not make a run for the Triple Crown this year. Country House has come down with a cough and will not run in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 18, race officials said Tuesday. “He will not be racing in the Preakness ... that’s what we’ve been told,” Pimlico spokesman David Joseph told NBC News. Trainer Bill Mott said the horse is showing signs of getting sick, but he does not believe it has any serious condition. “It's probably a little viral thing,” Mott said. “Hopefully it doesn't develop into anything serious.” Country House was named the Kentucky Derby winner after the horse that crossed the finish line first, Maximum Security, was disqualified for spooking its competitors earlier in the race. Maximum Security was favored to win. The huge upset cost horse racing fans over $9 million in lost bets.

Read it at NBC News
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